Loving Limitations

People condemn Christianity based on their limited and simple understanding of the Bible and say Christians are shallow and closed minded to have faith in the ancient teachings of the Bible. These same people will ask a very complex question about our faith and then complain that our answers are too complicated. They want the “God is love” answer and that’s it.  But to say God is love and then end it there is to leave the deeper richer more beautiful part of God’s love undiscovered. God is not quite that simple.

The discovery of all the aspects of God is exactly why the Bible was written; so we could, through the power of the Holy Spirit discover the many dimensions of God and get a better glimpse of the glory to come. The Word of God is God revealed to man in a form he can comprehend. but you must be willing to take the time needed to discover His character.

1 Corinthians 2:10 “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

Deuteronomy 29:29” The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

C.S. Lewis said people want a child’s prayer to answer deep questions. They ask, “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?” — And then when you try to give them a Biblical answer, they complain “That’s too complicated, I just want a simple answer”

Well guess what folks …. NOTHING ABOUT THE QUESTION YOUR ASKING OF GOD IS SIMPLE!!

• Simple = God is great, God is good
• Complex = God is great and to experience real interaction with the divine is awesome 

So don’t ask a complex question and then complain because you receive a complex answer… what did you expect?

Today we are going to ask complex questions and take time to understand the complex answers that follow.

• Why is there a wrong way and a right way?
• Why is the thing that is wrong for me ok for someone else?
• Why are there so called ‘Rules” that we must follow?
• Why would the God of all the Universe set chains around us and give us a moral compass to guide our lives by?
• Why is my relationship with the Holy Spirit so intertwined with my destiny when everyone else can just do whatever they feel like doing?

To uderstand the willingness of devoted Christians to follow the ordinances and commands given by God you must first understand two things. Number 1 - Freewill. Every Christian is given a choice of submission and God will never force anyone to turn to Him or submit to His ways.

Number 2 - Potential. Every Christian walking within the constraints of Christianity has come to understand that thier highest potential will only be achieved within the boundaries set by the Holy Spirit.

What may work for one man may not work for another. The power of God working in each persons life will direct the specific path that believer must follow. This trust in the way of the Lord will lead you to your highest potential and bring you to your desired destiny in Christ. So if you are unwilling to live within those boundaries it will be impossible for you to reach your destination.

Think of a fish out of water. We all know that the water is the environment the fish will thrive in, but that fish can choose to live on the land, and move outside of his natural boundaries,  and it will die. So, in effect the water becomes his limitations and his freedom at the same time. The Holy Spirit is the water of the believers life. We can choose to live within or without. And just like a fish out of water, should we decide to live outside the constraints of the Holy Spirit we will die in the world. We are called to be in the world, not of the world.

So next time someone acts like you are oppressed by submitting to a set of “rules” teach them to realize these loving limitations are the very thing that is delivering you to your destiny.

The next time someone ask you why God would give man a set of constraints to live by tell them that it is within these constraints that your true freedom will be realized.

The next time God tells you to move in a direction that seems hard, impossible or too constraining, remind yourself that it is YOUR LORD who is calling you to YOUR PURPOSE and everything He is teaching you is causing you to grow and prepare for THAT PURPOSE!!!

 Job 32:18 “For I am full of words;The spirit within me constrains me.

 2 Cor 5:14-17 “For the love of Christ constrains us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, all things have become new. 

Time at the cross

Take some time to be close to God today.

Take even 10 miutes out of this day and walk away from the business of your mind and allow yourself just to “be” with the Lord. You don’t have to talk. You don’t have to cite scripture. You don’t have to tell Him all you need. Just be. And allow that feeling of union and peace wash over you like a wave of serenity.

If you really want to you can. If you really try you will.

God bless you and may the peace that surpasses all understanding overtake you as you sit quietly before the throne.

 

Colossians 1:18-23 (The Message)

He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.  You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. 

God bless you as you seek His will and way for your life.

Pastor Chris Horne

Guaranteed Results

What if I told you I could tell you three ingredients, that if added to your food, would make it fat-free? Would you add the ingrdients?

What if I told you that you could do only three specific excercises to do three days a week and you would be guaranteed to have the perfect body within one year? Would you do them?

 What about three investments that would yield a 500% return within 5 years. Would you invest everything you had if this was guaranteed results? Of coarse you would, as would anyone else.

Well I am going to give you a gift far greater than any of these.

It is the gift of Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” If you need hope and a secure future follow these three steps and you will be guaranteed to walk in the abundant life Christ died to give you.

#1 – Prayer
Pray sincerely on a daily basis and come to know the will of God
You must remember that when you are praying you are to more ears than mouth. Allow the Lord to speak to your heart and instead of coming to Him with a “To-Do” list or the me me me syndrome, come to Him with an open heart. Instead of saying Lord bless this and give me that, try saying, “Lord, what can I do to serve you?” You will be amazed at the change in your life almost instantly.

#2 – Praise
Praise God in all circumstances and come to know the ways of God
It is amazing what music can do for your soul. Music can minister to you like nothing else can. It chases away the blues, fills you with feelings of gratitude and brings back a flood of memories. When I am lost in praise I can smell the past, feel the present and see the future all at once when the music fills my very soul. God will meet you in the music and in the melody of love you will find purpose once again.

#3 – Practice
Practice what God reveals to you and come to know Gods character.
1 in 5 people will remember a message they hear on Sunday a week later. 1 in 7 of those will actually attempt to put what they hear into practice. And 1 in 50 of those will be found a year later still practicing the message God gave them. And you wonder why preachers preach the same thing over and over … lol. Start being a doer of the Word, not merely a hearer and you will see results in record time.

Radical results requires radical changes. Each of these steps will bring you closer to the abundant life God has planned for you but all three of them working together will bring you to heights you never dreamed possible. Take the one year challenge. Start to practice and pray and praise the Lord on a daily basis for ONE YEAR and then come back and let us know how the Lord has blessed you exceedingly abundantly above and beyond anything you could imagine.

God bless you

Pastor Chris

Defeating Depression

Depression is an attack of the enemy on your very soul. It can drag you down and make you think thoughts you would never imagine you could have thought. But don’t forget that the devils playground is in your mind and the worse thing you could ever do is allow him to “hang-out” and destroy your future with his poisonous temptation.

Some folks don’t realize that when you allow depression to reside in your life you are actually allowing the enemy to control you by way of your thought process. The word of God tells us the devil is here for one purpose: to destroy your life.

John 10:10 ”The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

That same verse gives us the anser to this situation: CALL ON CHRIST. He has left us with a spirit of peace, and that peace is what will lead us to a FULL LIFE, but sometimes we must fight for what we want in life. Sometimes it is the battle in our minds that defeat us more than anything else can. But overcoming this war ONE BATTLE AT A TIME builds your faith and develops your character. SO TAKE ACTION NOW, and delcare victory, even if only for this one day.

Don’t allow this curse from hell to ruin even one minute of your life. DECIDE RIGHT NOW that you are going to PURSUE PEACE and find joy no matter what you have to do to get it, and trust me if you set out to find peace you will not be dissappointed. The Lord is faithful to fill those who seek His Spirit.

Psalm 34:13-14 “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

Sometimes you have to FIGHT for what you want in life. How bad do you WANT what God has in store for you? I hear people all the time say.”I would do anything” or “I would give my last dime” or “I would give everything I own”. God doesn’t ask for great sacrifice to overcome depression, he ask for trust and action.

TRUST THAT HE WILL LEAD YOU CORRECTLY!!

TAKE ACTION AND FOLLOW HIS LEAD!!

Pretty simple really. God bless you as you seek His will and way in your life.

Pastor Chris Horne

Article on the differences between clinical depression and the “blues”. http://helpguide.org/mental/depression_signs_types_diagnosis_treatment.htm

Please note I am in no way generalizing or condemning the help of a physician for the treatment of clinical depression which is grounded in a checmical imbalance and should be treated with medication as well as therapy. Please allow the Spirit of God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear.

Simple Solutions

Simple solutions take a lifetime to master.

The book of James gives us very specific direction for trouble in life and once we finally realize that Gods Word is there as a guide to follow and start walking out our faith, we find it was all quite simple. It was our willingness to follow HIS lead that has been the problem all along

Repentance precedes Peace

Psalms 51:1-3

 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.

It is amazing to realize what an awesome and holy God we serve. His everlasting and abounding love sustains us in the midst of our trials and tribulations. When we truly come before Him and stand in the presence of greatness and divinity the magnitude of His grace forces us to realize our own weaknesses.

When the Holy Spirit moves your soul to repent you feel Gods love all around you. You know that His heart is with you and in this security blanket of peace you find hope for tomorrow. Realize your sin and seek forgiveness for your transgression. The Lord is aware of them, it is you that must face them with humility and then sincerely lay them at the Saviors feet for mercy. He is always faithful to answer a sincere heart and will never leave a fallen soldier behind.

Tomorrow is another day and as you hold your head up high and charge into your promise land keep your steps steady and your eyes focused on the Kingdom and the love of God Almighty.

God bless you as you seek His will and way in your life.

Pastor Chris

Familiarity breeds contempt

Familiarity breeds contempt. That was the lesson tonight and one I believe the body of Christ needs to pay heed to. Studies show that the longer we are around someone or something the more we tend to take it for granted and thereby lose our ability to truly appreciate it; our family, our friends, and even our material possessions lose face the longer we are around them. All of them start to lose their appeal and influence on us as we become accustomed to them. And in this flaw of human character we find ourselves missing out on the treasures and blessings of our life.

Think about it. Those you know the best are the ones you see the least. Not see as with the physical eye, but with the fresh eyes of the spirit. And those who know you best or longest are less likely to see the exceptional in you as well. Firstly, because they have been around much of you that is ver common place or even unacceptable at times, so to see the extraordinary in you becomes much more difficult for them the longer they are around you, whereas a new acquaintance who knows nothing about your past or your personality flaws could recognize your gifts and qualities right away.

Harvard Business School did a study that proved the less we know about a person the more inclined we are to like them. The conclusion was that the more we find out about a person the more we come to realize ways in which they are different from ourselves and in general we do not like people that are different from ourselves, especially when we spend so much time convincing ourselves that we are “normal” or “right” and anyone who disagrees with us is simply wrong.

And this held true in Jesus’ day as well, as we see in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 13:54-58 (NIV)

⁵⁴Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” ⁵⁸And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Notice at first how they were AMAZED by Jesus. When they heard about all His miracles and first heard His teachings they were amazed and wanted to hear more. I have to wonder how much more they had to hear though before their amazement turned to offense. At what point did Jesus say something they didn’t want to hear or accept? When did his message or actions prove that He was indeed “different” from them and cause their ears to be set against Him and their minds to start tearing Him down. How long did Jesus preach before they started trying to justify themselves?

We have to be very careful as Christian not to allow this humanistic quality to hinder our growth and spiritual development. We must constantly remind ourselves that as we seek to grow in Christ and follow His Holy Spirit there will be MANY TIMES we will hear things our flesh will not agree with or want to hear and our natural instinct will be to either discount the message or worse yet start tearing down the messenger himself.  Be on guard then brothers and sisters to check your motives when your flesh bows up and tries to set you against the will of God or His anointed in their calling to deliver the Word of God to you untamed and full of conviction. It is in this conviction that you will find freedom, if you are humble enough to allow the transformation.

God bless you as you seek His will and way in your life.

Rev Chris Horne

A call to serve

 Isaiah 58 is a call to arms as it were. Only in this war the tools of warfare are love, patience, kindness, mercy and forgiveness. Jesus Christ set the stage and called us into action the day he ascended to Heaven and left us in charge of the world. He trusted us enough to win back dominion for all of mankind and He called us to love one another as He first loved us. To be His arms, His feet, His voice and His heart as we set about changing the world in His name and for His glory. He told us to love God and love one another, a pretty simple message with an astounding impact on the world. Christ did not die to start a religion but a revolution. And Isaiah 58 proclaims in no uncertain terms that to live any other way is to live a vain and fruitless existence.

Isaiah 58:5-7 “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying on sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

You cannot love God until you first love others in His name. And that does not mean going to church and “bowing one’s head like a reed”. Serving others requires real work, real sacrifice and real effort. And often times it requires doing something that is inconvenient if not downright burdensome to us. Most times God calls us to give up something we cherish in order to be a blessing to someone else, and He even goes so far as to ask us to make this sacrifice with a smile, wow. And again, He trusts us to do exactly that, in His name and for His glory. If true sacrifice were such a joy and pleasure to people don’t you think everyone would be doing it?

Serving requires humility, patience, compassion and most of all love. Thankfully that is something that Christ fills our heart with the moment we come to accept His saving grace and understand the miracle of His love in our own lives. Practice loving others in His name and God promises to give you the desires of your heart. What’s ironic is that once you truly start to love others and walk in the “acceptable fast” your heart truly changes from within and your desires follow suit. That which you desire starts to change and become conformed to the heart of God. Change your desires and you change your destiny.

Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

God bless you as you seek His face and become His arms in your own community.

Hold fast

Hold fast to your righteousness

Job 27:5-7 ⁵“Far be it from me that I should declare you right; Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days.”

The friends of Job were adding misery to heartache as they condemened Job during his time of trial and it was Jobs integrity that brought him through the fire and into his victory.

 There is no other man in the Bible that endured quite so much testing as Job and he is held up as a primary example for Christians to be encouraged in times of trouble. We are assured that God sees our adversity and will work things out in the end if we just hold fast to our righteousness. Do not let anyone around you steal your assurnace or deter your direction.

There are people who will surround you that desire your defeat. And they work hand in hand with the enemy to drag your spirit down and cause you to turn away from your source of strength. Some do it on purpose, but most do it in ignorance. Job’s friends thought they were helping him in their spirit of condemnation.

Even his own wife told him to curse God and die. There will be times in your life when it seems God has deserted you and everyone is against you. You will feel lost and alone and start to question your belief system. This is the time of trial that every believer will face, some more than others. And this is the time you must HOLD FAST TO YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!!

Don’t let the enemy steal your assurance or your peace. You do the right thing even when it hurts, and no matter what everyone else does. It is your righteousness that will be victorious in the end. Never forget it is during the trials that you grow and learn the most in life. The Lord allows you to be tested to build your faith and character. Stand strong and hold fast to what you know to be true.

C.S. Lewis once said in Mere Christianity, “Faith is a necessary virtue; unless you teach your moods where to “get off”, you can never be either a sound Christian or even a sound atheist, but just a creature dithering to and fro, with Its beliefs really dependent on the weather and the state of Its digestion. Consequently one must train the habit of Faith.”

You must hold fast to your faith and your direction. Job came through his trial with his integrity intact and his rewards were more abundance than he had ever hoped for.

God bless you as you seek His will and way.

Reverend Chris Horne

A question of honor

2Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and discipline.”

Do you really understand who you are in Christ? As a believer you have been given certain rights and responsibilities in accordance to His name. As a child of God you called to exercise these rights to the good of the Kingdom of heaven. You are to be about the fathers business. You are called to be a soldier for Christ.

That means that everything you have in life, your money, your time, your material possession, even your health are given to you as a means of serving God. He trusted you enough to give you everything you have and the proper response to such blessing is to turn around and give them back to His service.

I recall the old traditions of the past when honor dictated that a life saved became a life owed. If someone saved your life that life then belonged to them; and you were bound to repay the debt or live a life of service to the one who granted you your life.

The Lord saved my life over 8 years ago and since that time my life has belonged to Him. I have lived, breathed and thought of nothing but Him since that day. That is because I am so thankful that He saved my life. I truly would not be here had He not intervened and I understand this truth deeply.

I have fallen, struggled, achieved and failed at many attempts to serve the Lord and I have done all this in the power of my new found freedom. Contrary to what most people think Christianity is not a life of chains and bondages but a life of freedom and choices. We are given amazing revelations and awesome liberty to walk in a new direction and the choice to follow the one who saved you is a new choice each day.

Does your life honor the sacrifice Christ made for you? Are you serving Him with the talents, time and the things He has blessed you with? Do you truly understand and appreciate the life He has given you or have you forgotten the grace of God and allowed selfish pride to be your Lord? Does your life bring the Lord glory and honor or grief and heartache. Do you truly believe you would have a life at all without His blessings?

You are called to walk in power, love and discipline. The path the Lord has chosen for you will not always be easy, that is a lie from hell, but it will always be paved with the tools you need to succeed. These tools however are placed in strategic places that can only be revealed as you walk the path He has chosen for you. You cannot ask God to alter His plans for your life, it is you that must alter your plans and now live your life for the one who gave you life.

God bless you as you seek His face.

Reverend Chris Horne

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